Amazon launches Prime Now to deliver essential goods to your doorstep within the hour

Amazon is rolling out a new service called Prime Now through which the retailer will offer one-hour deliveries of essential goods when ordered via the dedicated Prime Now app. The service is exclusively available to current Prime subscribers, and is live in Manhattan, with more cities to follow in 2015.

Amazon mentions that it is able to deliver tens of thousands of essential goods like paper towels, toiletries, books, toys and batteries thanks to its "growing network of fulfillment centers that utilize high-end technology to speed up order delivery times for customers." The service is going live in select areas of Manhattan today, and users interested in trying out the service can now download the Prime Now app on iOS and Android, which comes with the ability to track orders in real-time.

Prime Now is available from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Two-hour delivery is free and one-hour delivery is available for $7.99. A portion of Amazon's new building on 34th Street in Manhattan will serve as a hub for delivery of Prime Now orders.